How cloud advancements are influencing business processes

Cloud servers have become an asset for many organisations for storage and application management purposes. By adapting to the emerging needs of the users, the cloud has been able to provide a flexible platform while also enabling security, which remains a priority for many companies. The technology is rapidly advancing and has influenced numerous processes like networking and app deployment. As the market continues to grow, businesses are expected to invest more in these solutions in order to keep up with the competitive advantages the cloud can provide.

The cloud has contributed to the changing of everyday processes like file sharing and resource access, enabling more remote working and collaboration opportunities. For networking operations, the cloud has driven significant adjustments that both benefit and add complexity to procedures. Network World writer Brandon Butler pointed out that the cloud automatically provisions and scales virtual machines within the server, but this requires additional flexibility. Underlying data for applications that run in numerous locations must also be consistently synchronised and updated, which can be difficult to maintain. Although the cloud has significantly changed networking approaches, the entire system can be unsuitable if the network doesn't work toward incorporating new technologies.

"When you start to move workloads around, those data flows become much more complicated," 451 Group chief analyst Eric Hanselman said, according to the source. "Those traditional networking tiers start to come undone."

Cloud hosting is becoming increasingly used by organisations as the technology matures in offerings and features. According to new research by Gartner, cloud computing will become the bulk of new IT expenditures by 2016, with nearly half of large enterprise projected to deploy hybrid clouds by the end of 2017. The cloud has already driven changes with scalable capabilities and other necessary advancements. It has become recognised as a spectrum of things building on the foundation of sharing and a constantly evolving technology that requires ample strategising in order to make full use of the system. A cloud migration strategy will typically include governing and securing the services while also considering what software and services need to be in place to ensure that the solution works appropriately.

"Overall, there are very real trends toward cloud platforms, and also toward massively scalable processing," Gartner research vice president Chris Howard said. "Virtualisation, service orientation and the Internet have converged to sponsor a phenomenon that enables individuals and businesses to choose how they'll acquire or deliver IT services, with reduced emphasis on the constraints of traditional software and hardware licensing models. Services delivered through the cloud will foster an economy based on delivery and consumption of everything from storage to computation to video to finance deduction management."

The cloud has taken over business processes in many regards for numerous organisations. But by adequately preparing for the advances and embracing the technology, companies can begin to yield benefits and promote an overall more efficient workplace.

The cloud has taken over business processes in many regards for numerous organisations. But by adequately preparing for the advances and embracing the technology, companies can begin to yield benefits and promote an overall more efficient workplace.